A question for those who may have experience with using a balanced power conditioner. Suppose, I had enough money to purchase 'one' of the power cords that Art praises and used it to feed my recently purchased Equi-tech power conditioner. Would the benefits that Art describes be made available to all the componenta pugged into the conditioner, since all the power used in my system would be derived through the Cardas that feeds my conditioner? ie; decrease the 60 Hz harmonics etc etc etc?

Yes, the Golden Refernce can be used in that manner, providing a Golden shower of electrical goodness for the downstream components.

Your point is very well considered and would seem to provide the best use of resources in this category of component.

In fact, I predict by summer we will be seeing a specialty chord for the very purpose you mention. Some quick witted cable manufacturer will take one look at this idea and smell a Golden mine of opportunity.

I suggest they call it the "AC Main Line."

Then, the same company will start to make specific secondary power chords that will run from your power conditioner to specific components: an amplifier chord, a pre-amp chord, a CD player chord, etc.

Names: "Digi Line," "Vinyl Line," etc...

I think you just created a whole new market segment and marketing campaign for the next manufacturer who strolls through.

Kudos on a magnificent idea!

Wanna start a company?

I'll go start cutting up and re-coloring Home Depot extension chords right now!

We'll be rich I tells ya, rich!!

Seriously, you should delete the post and then I'll delete the reply and we'll talk. It's that good an idea.

thanks and thanks for the replies. Bottom line; the whole concept that power cords can make an audible difference, is a difficult one for me and one that I make as an effort of faith, in part because I have trust in Art.(maybe because up until his recent article, he heard no differences in power cords. It does appeal to me conceptually that if the Cardas cord does make a difference, it would exercise it's effect in supplying my balanced power conditioner. I do believe that I hear an audible improvement in music played with the Equi-tech in the system. Question; If the Cardas removes much of the 60 Hz related noise (feeding the conditioner) how could it get back in?

I think it makes sense to put a high quality power cord as early in the chain as possible (on the conditioner first.) But, that is not to say you might not garner greater benefits on components further down in the chain (like an amplifier.) I have gained incremental improvements upgrading each cord in my system; the sonic gains don't have to stop at the conditioner. If possible, try more than one cord. Put the first on the conditioner, then add one to the amplifier and listen. If you hear an added improvement, you'll know you now have more options, and possibly an emptier wallet. We can speculate all we want, but, the true test for you is in the listening.

I have been skeptical because I couldn't work out the science in my head about Power cords, but got them anyway and heard a Huge improvement in my system. Now I was wondereing about Power conditioners, I live in an older home, with a few power points in each room, and many on the same circet. Will a Conditioner help in any way?

It depends on what kind of conditioning you employ. There are several designs out there. There are filters that amount to not much more than a couple of high voltage capacitors in parallel to the AC line. These can be effective, but have limitations. You can build them yourself... just be sure to add something like a 1/2 watt 100K ohm resistor in parallel for safety when unplugging from the wall. Sometimes your own gear is the biggest sinner... digital components can introduce lots of noise and hash on the electrical line - sometimes having isolation via an isolation transformer or an isolated ground can be effective.

Shunyata and PS Audio make very effective power conditioning units at different price points - worth a listen.

A couple of other points. If you house is older it might not hurt to have an electrician come and check all of your service entrance panel connections and tighten them all including the grounds. This service call should no be more than $50 tops.

This may sound odd, but after a year of living in our home, now 6 years, I found my service entrance panel connecting terminals loose. The contractor's crew was a little lazy, but it is also possible the connectors "might" have worked their way loose, but unlikely in only one year. Some were very loose.

I would also recommend you replace the outlets in your audio room with Hubbble Hospital Grade receptacles, about $6 a piece. The contacts are of much better quality. You could buy "cryogenic" ones, but I am not that much off the deep end...yet. They usually run up at $40 a piece.

To go even further you could have an electrician run 2 dedicated seperate new 20 amp lines up to your listening room. Most house wiring is in series from the adjoining rooms. Seperate lines isolates your audio from the rest of the house, and especially from rooms with motors like the kitchen refreigerator, diswasher, and the laundry room washer and dryer.

Jeff's recommendation of good power chords is right on the money. I lowered the my desktop-computer recording rig noise floor 10dB just by going to an MIT chord.

Properly designed electronics for home use can easily deal with residential electrical anomolys. Buy better electroincs in the first place, then there is no need to add more stuff in a useless effort to improve it's sound. Did you also "upgrade" the AC line cord, AC outlet, you know the routine. Did you install a Dranetz line analyzer and diagnose an AC line problem, sags, spikes RFI etc? Or just guessing, seen a nice colorful ad in Stereophile telling you how much you need this new AC line conditioner, regulator?